Wednesday, January 5, 2011

IN THE MAILBOX

From Rico Gutstein at Teachers For Social Justice

Fight to Keep the "Public" in Public Education-What You Can Do!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 12:23 AM

TSJ, as part of the CTU-Community Board (a coalition of the Chicago Teachers Union and several community organizations), is working to derail the "Performance Counts" proposed legislation now in front of the IL lame-duck legislature as you read this. We're asking, no urging, people to take some IMMEDIATE action to let elected officials that we will NOT let them shift the blame for the economic crisis onto ordinary people and unions (specifically public sector unions, and most immediately, teachers unions-see http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/business/02showdown.html?src=me&ref=general).

This legislation will basically turn teachers in Illinois into "at will" workers, hamper their capacity to unionize, eliminate seniority in hiring and layoffs, stop the union from being able to bargain class size, and basically eliminate due process and protection from arbitrary administrator actions. It is NOT about meeting the needs of the students in the state (see Rethinking Schools great editorial on "What's Up With All the Teacher Bashing?" at http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/24_04/edit244.shtml)

* Learn about the very real and IMMEDIATE threat posed by Springfield's House Committee on Education Reform, and the Performance Counts bill.
* Learn about the CTU Students Count platform.
* Learn how you can take direct, personal action to defend our rights as educators, to stand up for our students, and to win the war for public education in Illinois.

RESEARCH SHOWS reading Klonsky's Blog will make you smarter & better looking. SUBSCRIBE!

FOLLOW...

A NOTE ON THE COMMENTS SECTION

I welcome comments on my blog. I prefer signed comments but I will allow anonymous ones if they are pertinent. But I won't publish personal attacks, racist or other hateful comments, signed or posted under the cover of anonymity. As for marketers of products using the comments section to sell their wares -- forget it.

RECENT COMMENTS

About

Educator, writer, school/community activist.
All opinions expressed on this blog, unless otherwise specified, are mine and don't necessarily represent those of any other individual or organization.
Contact: smallschoolsworkshop@yahoo.com